


Coping

by Dylalan



Series: Haunted [4]
Category: Total Drama (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Implied Underage, Implied abuse, Revenge, Still based on my own issues, Trauma, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28119213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dylalan/pseuds/Dylalan
Summary: Heather didn’t deal with her problems.
Relationships: Alejandro Burromuerto/Heather, Duncan/Gwen (Total Drama), Gwen/Chris Mclean (Implied), Heather/Chris Mclean (Implied), Lindsay/Chris McLean
Series: Haunted [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850704
Kudos: 18





	Coping

**Author's Note:**

> Probably the last one for this series. Might go back on that.

Heather didn’t deal with her problems. She didn’t need to, really, she didn’t. Therapy was for weak people, and probably Gwen. She had Alejandro, and she didn’t watch TV often. She could avoid reminders.

Usually.

Gwen and Duncan had invited her over. She didn’t talk to them too much, they were reminders. But she still talked to them more then the rest of the cast, which was easy, because she didn’t talk to any of them. She’d see Gwen maybe once a month, at a coffee shop, or on holidays. Duncan even less than that. 

But tonight was a special occasion for them. Gwen had said she had planned something. She wouldn’t say what, just invited Heather over for dinner, and to watch the premiere of the twelfth season of Total Drama.

She didn’t want to go. She didn’t want a reminder, she’d managed to avoid them so well. Alejandro turned down the invitation.

But it had been a year since she’d had a panic attack. Maybe she could handle it. Maybe it would help, maybe it would just get Gwen off her back.

\------------------------------------

The last freakout she’d had hadn’t been her fault. At all. Alejandro told her that none of them were, that she obviously wasn’t to blame, but she disagreed. She’d been weak.

Heather hated being weak.

She had been at a fancy cafe with Alejandro. It was their seventh anniversary. It had been lovely, and expensive, two of her favorite things. And then she noticed the paparazzi. It wasn’t incredibly unusual for the paps to take her photograph, but she hadn’t been in the spotlight recently. She moved to wave to them, to get a good pic, maybe an article about how great she looked. And then she noticed they weren’t looking at her.

And then the couple walked in.

Chris Mclean looked as great, and as fucking sleazy, as he usually did. Teeth perfectly shiny and white, in a grin that could cut you open. Eyes a perfect blue, and completely empty. Shirt unbuttoned to reveal a perfectly toned chest, and arms with just enough muscle that you couldn't get away unless he let you. Lindsay held on to him, looking at him with adoration in her eyes, a look that he didn’t deserve.

Alejandro grabbed Heather’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Heather felt like her heart was about to rip out of her body. And then it got even worse.

Lindsay was not somebody who knew what boundaries were, never had been. She wouldn’t see the signs that somebody didn’t want to be touched, or that they wanted to be left alone. So when she saw Heather, someone she had begun to see as a friend again, and Alejandro, who she had forgiven the second the show ended and he had apologized to her, she rushed right over to greet them, Chris in tow.

Heather had run out of the building, ignoring the paparazzi. Ignoring Alejandro calling for her. Ignoring Lindsay’s confused questions.

Ignoring Chris’s laughter.

The next day she had been in twelve different tabloids, and Alejandro had to reassure her that she was fine, she was safe, and she wasn’t sixteen anymore. That Chris couldn’t hurt her anymore. That she needed to please, please just look at him, acknowledge him, or he might have to contact a doctor.

That had snapped her out of it. Kind of. Enough for her to put on a brave face, to assure Alejandro, even though every part of her wanted to just curl back up into a ball, and stay in the bedroom forever. Because if she did that, she knew Alejandro would make good on contacting a doctor, and she would not let that happen.

So she burned the tabloid with the worst picture of her, and released a statement that she had an allergic reaction, and had had to leave immediately.

Lindsay had tweeted that she and Chris hoped Heather was healthy and ok.

Heather had never been gladder that she had built up the image of a stone cold bitch, and that nobody expected her to respond. She’d simply liked the post, and spent the rest of the night dry heaving.

She’d met up with Gwen and Duncan three days later, and they spent the entirety of the time talking about how they should have done more for Lindsay. At least she and Gwen did. Duncan mostly just talked about the various ways he wanted to kill Chris.

At the end of their hangout, Heather had told Gwen that she thought the other girl needed therapy. Gwen had, as usual, told her to fuck off, and they went their seperate ways.

Heather had then kept bringing it up. Because she was fine, really she was, but Gwen had been devastated by what Chris had done.

That’s why she kept saying it. Really.

She was handling it fine. So, a year after her last event, she accepted the invitation to watch the premiere. She could handle it. Even without Alejandro there.

She had to handle it.

\-------------------------------------------

They ordered takeout from Gwen’s favorite place, and they talked around the show. They talked about how awful the ratings for Katie and Sadie’s new show were. They talked about how Harold and Leshawna were planning to get married in a few months, and whether it was worth it to go.

They did not talk about the girl from season 6 who had been seen leaving Chris’s hotel in tears two weeks ago. They did not talk about the two girls from season 8 who had been blacklisted from the industry a month ago for making comments about Chris implying certain things.

They did not talk about Lindsay.

Dinner went quickly, and it was time for the premiere. Gwen had promised Heather it would be worth it, and she wouldn’t elaborate.

So they sat on the couch in Ducan’s apartment, Gwen and Duncan curled up together on one end, and Heather pressed against the other end. They watched the opening interviews. 

Heather furrowed her brow. “I thought Blainely was doing the interviews, like usual? Chris always requests her.”

Gwen smirked. “He does. This time they went with a younger, less annoying person. I know her, she’s great at what she does.”

Heather shrugged, and looked back to the television.

More interviews. The new cast. Chef. And then, the star of the show, Chris Mclean.

Her heart clenched. It had been seven years, and it still hurt to look at him. Hurt to look at him, hurt even more to see Lindsay hanging off of his arm.

Chris grinned at the interviewer, all teeth. They made idle chit chat at first, about the season, about Chef. Then Chris asked what had clearly been annoying him.

“Jenna, not that you aren’t doing a fantastic job. But I was definitely hoping to see Blainley again. Kind of a tradition. Something up?”

Jenna shook her head, and matched his grin, her smile seeming more vicious. Chris seemed slightly unnerved. “Nothing. They assigned her to just the Gemmy’s this year, wanted to have some fresh blood in the mix. My friend Gwen recommended me to do this. You remember Gwen, of course?”

Chris’s grin returned. “Of course I do. My first winner, how could I forget? I’ve been meaning to catch up with her. Gwen, if you’re watching, call me dude.” He winked. Gwen curled up closer to Duncan.

“Oh, she’s watching alright. Lindsay, can I ask you a question?”

Chris looked put off at the change in direction, but Lindsay nodded happily. “Of course!”

“How long have you and Chris been together? You only started appearing in public together around two years ago.”

Chris moved to answer, looking nervous, but Lindsay cut him off. “That’s easy! We’ve been on and off since 2007.”

Jenna smiled. There was a ton of commotion in the background. Chris looked furious, and terrified. Lindsay looked confused. “Did I say something wrong?”

Gwen, Heather, and Duncan sat in silence for a moment, watching Chris try to explain himself, and failing.

Heather looked to Gwen. “How much did you pay Jenna to ask that? Risky.”

Gwen grinned. “She did it for free. Was willing to ruin her own career if it meant taking down Chris.”

“She took down Chris.”

“Yes.”

“He’s done for.”

“Yep.”

Heather smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> It ends with how I started it. With Chris getting what he deserves.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.


End file.
